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If you were to ask me to name the most important principle of Christian living I've ever learned, I would answer you without hesitation. It is the secret of daily communion with God. That is, without question, the No. 1 priority of the Christian life. It is the key that opens every door.

Yet it is the one thing many Christians can't seem to find time for.

When you think about it, that's astonishing. No other group of people since Adam and Eve has had the opportunity to fellowship with God the way we can. The Creator and Ruler of the entire universe has made Himself available to meet with us as believers every day. He sent Jesus to the cross to shed His blood so that we could enter into the holy of holies and draw near to Him any time we desire.

God Himself has flung open to us the door of fellowship and said, "I'm here for you. Just draw near to Me and I'll draw near to you. Spend time with Me and I'll give you the wisdom you need. I'll strengthen you and equip you and help you in every area of your life."

But for the most part, Christians have been too busy to take Him up on it.

"Well, Gloria," you might say, "considering how much we have to do these days, that's understandable."

Is it? Suppose you woke up one morning, walked into your kitchen and found Jesus Himself sitting at your table. Would you be too busy to stop and talk with Him? Would you leave Him sitting there alone while you rushed through the business of the day, talked on the phone, watched television and then fell, exhausted, into bed? No! That would be unthinkable!

Yet that is what we do, day after day, when we let the busyness of living crowd out our time with the Master. That is what we do when we neglect our fellowship with Him. We miss the counsel He wants to give us.

Like Martha, we become "worried and troubled about many things" (Luke 10:41, NKJV). Yet all those things would be taken care of if we would stop and spend time with the Lord. All would be well if we would follow Mary's example and do the one thing that is needful--spend time at Jesus' feet.

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DISCOVERING GOD'S PLANWhy is that time so important? Because in those precious hours and moments alone in God's presence, we truly get to know the Lord. We discover His plan for our lives, and we lay hold of the wisdom and grace to carry it out. As we fellowship with the Lord, we receive His direction and His power to do what we are divinely designed to do.

I know that from experience. The time I've spent with the Lord in the Word and in prayer has literally shaped my life. I shudder to think where I would be today without it.

When I was growing up, my world was so small I could hardly think beyond the little Arkansas town where I lived. The only dream I had back then was to hold a simple job. I had no sense of purpose or divine destiny. I couldn't begin to imagine the life I have now. I certainly couldn't have asked God for it because I didn't know this kind of life was available!

Even after Ken and I answered God's call to the ministry, we had no idea what God's plan for us was. We were living in a tiny house in Tulsa while Ken attended Oral Roberts University. One day Ken went down to the riverbed to pray about the future and God spoke to his heart, telling him that he was going to preach to nations.

We couldn't imagine going to nations. We hardly had enough money to drive from Oklahoma to Texas to visit Ken's family. How were we ever going to travel to nations?

It didn't seem possible. But now, more than 35 years later, not only have we traveled to nations but we reach out to people worldwide almost every day of the week through our ministry offices and TV broadcasts.

How have we done it? By staying in constant fellowship with God--by spending time with Him daily through His Word and through prayer, by hearing His voice and following His guidance one step at a time.

DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT ITFrankly, I have had to do it that way because I don't have the natural ability or resources to do what God instructed us to do. I know what Jesus said of Himself is also true of me--I can of myself do nothing (see John 5:30). If I'm going to do anything worthwhile, I have to abide in Jesus and be obedient to Him.

That's why I rarely do anything in the mornings before I pray. My time with the Lord is so vital, I don't leave home without it! I make a connection with God the very first thing and talk to Him with my understanding, and in the Spirit with other tongues.

If I have a business meeting, I want to know what He has to say about the issues we'll be discussing at that meeting. I believe for the wisdom of God. I don't want to go in there and be dependent on natural knowledge.

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